ToddMany parents want, but struggle, to find the right balance between guiding their children and controlling their children. This is particularly true when it comes to the choosing of a college, a course of study, and a career. Students also struggle between wanting help and wanting to make their own choices. These struggles for both parents and teenagers often lead to a lot of stress and unnecessary conflict. Here are two simple reminders that could relieve some stress:
- A parent’s job is to train well and release; trying to keep control does not end well.
- The goals and desires of young people change over time. And it’s been true for years now that there are jobs that will exist for them in the future that do not exist today.
I suggest two things students CAN do now to prepare for and choose a career path: 1) make the effort to get to know themselves better; 2) research careers and interview people in professions they’d like to know more about.
On College Board’s BigFuture web site, students can take a 15-minute quiz to match with a list of potential careers based on their interests.
Your child’s future might take many different career paths, and they may discover new talents and passions in the process. The ideas below can help you help them head in the right direction.
- Think about What You Love
Try creating a list of school subjects about which you enjoy learning. A good way to identify these subjects is to think about which topics you have studied that you wanted to learn more about or topics that seemed interesting to you.
Next, make a list of hobbies and activities you enjoy outside of school. These can be after-school activities or projects and interests you explore on your own.
These two lists might reveal commonalities in the classes you enjoy as well as your extracurricular activities. Ask yourself if these two lists have anything in common. For example, you might find that a few subjects and topics are related to one another in the fields of math, science, or the humanities.
- Identify Meaningful Experiences
When considering potential career options, it can be helpful to try to recall positive meaningful experiences from your past. Create a list of these experiences where you felt pride in an accomplishment or satisfaction from doing a good job on a test or a project. Identifying moments where you felt real accomplishment or that made you happy can help identify different careers that might provide similar experiences.
- Create a Self-Portrait
Now you need the input of family and friends who know you well. Try writing down adjectives that you think describe your personality. Do you consider yourself funny, creative, or analytical? These are just a few examples you might use to describe yourself. Now go to your closest family and friends, and ask them for their suggestions for adjectives that describe you. This list might be different from yours, but it can increase our self-awareness because people around us sometimes see us differently or more clearly than we see ourselves.
- Consider Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Make two lists: your top five strengths and top five weaknesses. When figuring out your strengths, consider potential careers where that strength can be helpful. Your weaknesses can also tell you a lot about potential career opportunities. This list can help you stay clear of certain career paths where your weaknesses would prevent you from succeeding.
- Explore Potential Career Options
Look at different career options from College Board’s Career Search. Learn about average income, education required, and projected job growth across hundreds of careers. Remember that many people work in multiple jobs across different fields before they pick their own career path.
For more career and college planning resources, you can visit these websites:
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